Thicker than Water
by The Fifth Dimension
Summary: After Paige's lengthy speech on Raw, the remaining two members of PCB are left angry and confused. Her words cut through them like a knife, but Becky and Charlotte were still a family - they were blood.
1. Family

**Author's Note: My natural tendency to ship people made this extremely difficult to write as a platonic friendship XD This story definitely worked better as a friendship though. Also, I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this, but I love reading comments from people, and talking to them in general! So, if you have any comments in regards to the story, feel free to leave a review! Or shoot me a pm (This site has those, yes?) if you have any questions.**

 **(Takes place after Paige's departure from Team PCB.)**

* * *

 ** _Thicker than Water_**

After a successful win against the, now former, Diva's Champion the previous night, Charlotte was finding it a little bit harder to celebrate coming off of another win tonight. It was bittersweet, to say the least. Picking up a victory versus one of the Bellas was always something to be excited about, but without Paige, it seemed like a hollow victory.

The English woman had some choice words to say to her, shaming both her championship win and her legacy as a Flair. She replayed the scene over and over again in her head and still couldn't believe those words were spoken to her by one of her closest friends. Did Paige really feel that Charlotte was undeserving of the title? Why didn't Paige ever say anything, or simply talk to her about how she was feeling?

Alone in an empty locker room, Charlotte let her frustration loose, tossing her bag clear across the wide space. She had been betrayed in the past, but none stung quite as much as this did. Charlotte wasn't lying when she said that she admired Paige. She was a trendsetter, a pioneer, and the only Diva thus far to hold both the Diva's Championship and the NXT Women's Championship at the same time. Of course she wanted to be like her - any Diva with some sense would.

Despite that, it didn't give Paige the right to waltz in and hurl insults at not only Charlotte herself, but also at the entire division as a whole. Paige had her moment, winning the title on the first televised appearance on Raw. What gave her the right to take away her own moment by resorting to petty insults? She _had_ no right to be that disrespectful to her, or Becky.

Charlotte sighed as thoughts of Becky came to mind. The pale woman was unforgiving in her verbal assault towards the redhead, going as far as calling her irrelevant. Charlotte took much offense to that, perhaps more offense than she did to her own verbal lashing. It took everything in her power to not slap Paige straight across the face when she spoke ill of her friend.

The fact of the matter is that Charlotte knew that calling Becky a "friend" was a severe understatement. The two started their careers in NXT together, they wrestled together, they got called up to Raw together, and now that they were on the road, they traveled practically every day together. To Charlotte, she was much more than a friend - Becky was family. She couldn't let someone, not even Paige, disrespect her family that way.

Come to think of it, where was Becky? The whole reason she came back here was to pick Becky up so they could leave the arena. Charlotte hoped that she wasn't seething in a dark hallway somewhere, plotting out her revenge against their ex-ally.

Not without her, anyway.

On cue, the blonde's ears perked up as a muttering Becky entered the locker room. Looking down at her feet, the red-haired woman failed to notice that Charlotte was sitting only a few paces behind her. "She needs a good left hook is what she needs. Maybe a bit of the right too."

"Speak of the devil."

Becky immediately ceased her mutterings, not wanting to seem insane. Though, it probably didn't matter at this point what people thought of her. After all, she was told every day how peculiar her outfit looked - something she took much pride in. "Gee, I know my hair's gotten a little redder, but devil? Harsh, Charlotte!" Becky put a hand to her chest in fake surprise.

Charlotte was right about one thing - Becky always did find a way to put a smile on her face. "Woman, just sit down."

The Irish born diva took a seat next to her friend, stepping carefully over quite a few of Charlotte's things. "Wow," she remarked. "Did your bag explode?"

Charlotte didn't answer with words, instead pointing at her discarded bag which lay in a heap in the corner. She didn't know her own strength sometimes.

"Rough night?" Becky said, half-jokingly.

"Becky…"

"Yeah, dumb question, sorry." Becky wanted to smack herself. She didn't know why she bothered asking such a stupid question. Obviously Charlotte was in a bad mood. She'd seen it; she was there, caught in the crossfire of Paige's tirade.

Charlotte placed a comforting hand on Becky's shoulder. It had been a hard night for them both, not just her. Controlling her feelings and helping them both get past this was what was important. "No, don't be. I'll get over it."

"You better," the other diva replied. She pulled herself up from the seat and began to pick up Charlotte's belongings. "We still have to get her back somehow!"

"You know it! Any ideas?"

Becky stopped in her tracks. "Erm, well… I hadn't planned that far ahead."

That's not far ahead at all, Charlotte mused internally. Nonetheless, she gave Becky the benefit of the doubt, letting her continue.

"I was thinking of cornering her, and then clobbering her."

"Clobbering?"

"Left hook, then right!" Collecting the last of Charlotte's things, Becky stuffed them not-so-neatly back into the large bag. She handed it to Charlotte, who nodded gratefully.

"Sounds good to me."

Becky took her place next to Charlotte once more, before allowing the room to fall into a comfortable silence. She was fuming inside, beyond fuming even, but she had to hold it together for Charlotte's sake. If Becky showed signs of anger now, it would only serve to rile up her friend, which she didn't want at this point in time. "Riled-up Charlotte" was better suited for the ring.

Minutes passed with neither saying a word, proving that words weren't always necessary for them to find enjoyment with each other. Still, Charlotte had things she wanted to get off of her chest, and now was as good a time as any. "She actually left us."

The smile on Becky's face faded when she heard how defeated her friend sounded. Still, if Charlotte still wanted to talk about it, then she would listen. "She dragged our names through the mud on her way out, too."

"Why didn't she just-"

"Talk to us?" Becky finished. "I was thinking the same thing. If she was unhappy, then I don't think there was much we could've said to her that would've changed her mind. Paige wants to be the Diva's Champion so badly that she's willing to cut ties with us."

Charlotte couldn't accept, or understand, that at all. Every woman in the WWE wanted the Diva's Championship, not just Paige. Heck, Becky was still by her side and she wanted the title more than anyone there. With Bayley defeating Sasha, Becky was the only one of "The Four Horsewomen" to not hold the Women's Championship down in NXT. Charlotte could tell that Becky had so much to prove, and yet she didn't betray her trust like Paige did.

"It's not so much what she did," Charlotte started, "But how she went about it. If she wanted to part ways, then fine, whatever. Why did she have to get so personal with it?"

"Because she's jealous, Charlotte," Becky stated flatly. "You got the opportunity and she didn't - and trust me, it had nothing to do with your father. Hah, we all saw how fast you beat Brie! Put my time to shame! That was all you, period."

"You're not wrong there. A whole two minutes faster!" Becky playfully punched Charlotte's arm, the latter laughing at her own brand of teasing. "What Paige said about me wasn't even the worst part."

"No?" Becky seemed legitimately shocked. Did Paige take a swipe a Charlotte while she wasn't paying attention? She'd crush her arm in a second if she did!

"No. I can take it when people try to put me down. It's when they try to put my family down is when I get mad. Nobody can talk about my father that way. Or you."

Becky felt her heart bursting much like it did a couple of hours ago in the ring, when Charlotte referred to her as a sister. It was incredibly touching. "Paige is full of it! I mean, me? Irrelevant?" Charlotte noticed Becky's knuckles turning a lighter shade as she balled them into fists. "Sure, I haven't held the Women's title, and maybe I haven't been in as many matches as the two of you, but 'the least relevant'? That's... That's stupid. Right?"

Becky was questioning herself, Charlotte could hear it in her voice. "Hey, stop that." She looked at Becky, hoping to dispel any thoughts of self-doubt creeping in. "I wouldn't even have this championship if it weren't for you."

"Me? I didn't do much, silly."

"If you didn't pin Nikki at SummerSlam, none of us would've gotten the chance to compete for the title at all."

Charlotte was clearly trying to cheer her up, but she'd be lying if she said that it wasn't working. "You know, I do believe you're onto something with that. Becky Lynch - Savior of the Diva's Division! Has a nice ring to it, don't you agree."

"Don't get carried away now! I'm still the top dog."

"Watch it. When it's my turn to fight for that," she placed her palm onto the silver title belt, "I won't let it slip through my fingers. Not again."

Becky's words were true. She had so much passion, so much drive, to win that championship. Charlotte nodded her head, looking forward to facing Becky in the ring one day with the Diva's Championship on the line - as friends, not enemies.

"Charlotte."

"Hm?"

"I hope you know that I'd never hurt you like that."

"I know, but it still means a lot to me to hear you say it." Charlotte removed the belt, staring at the symbol for all that she had accomplished. Her blood, sweat, and tears were all worth it, culminating in this beautiful championship belt. "No matter which one of us walks away with this, we'll still both be at the top."

"Friendship always wins!"

As the two arose from their seats, grabbing their bags as they did, Becky gave one last chuckle as she remembered the night's events again. "By the way, it was sweet of you to get super defensive when Paige mentioned my name. It looked like you were going to rip her head off!"

"You're damn right I got defensive! Nobody talks to my sister that way."

"I think I could get used to being your sister for life."

"You'll have a great dad, this I can assure you."

Heading out of the locker room, the two friends - the two sisters - could say that they ended their night on a high note. Their good friend turned her back on them, but at the same time, they knew that their own bond was only going to grow stronger. No matter what happened from here on out, they took comfort in the fact that they'd always be together, side by side.

First things first - teaching Paige not to cross the "CB" in Team PCB.


	2. Emancipated

**Author's Note: Hello, all. Normally, I'm the type of writer that sticks to oneshots, and will very rarely venture out in multi-part stories. That being said, some have suggested that I write a "Paige perspective" on the PCB drama, and honestly, it was a good idea! This is a very reflective story, with little dialogue, so if that's not your thing then I apologize (Can't please them all, as they say XD).** **Also, I wanted to thank the reviewer that mentioned the color of Becky's hair. You are absolutely right, it is very much orange. I'm just so used to her being a "redhead." I'm not color blind, I swear! All of that said, enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Thicker than Water - Emancipated**_

When Charlotte locked on the Figure Eight submission hold, Paige knew that the win was guaranteed. The battle had been long fought, with Nikki Bella focusing on the left leg of her the challenger throughout the entire match. Nevertheless, Charlotte was able to squeak by - yes, barely squeak by - and pick up the victory. As soon as the referee called for the bell, Becky slid into the ring, hugging and celebrating Charlotte's big, come-from-behind success over Nikki.

To be quite honest, the sight of it all made Paige sick to her stomach. Watching Becky congratulate the new champion, stupid grin plastered on her face all the while, was enough to test Paige's gag reflex. Paige had stood near Charlotte, putting on the most insincere smile, patting her on the back. She didn't deserve a hug, nor did she deserve to hold that title belt. In fact, Charlotte didn't deserve to be here.

It was no secret who "the champ's" father was - the way she paraded around the ring, doing _his_ signature "Woo!" chant. Paige never could grasp why she'd want to be the spitting image of her father, Ric Flair. Wasn't the point of it all to create your own destiny, and forge your own legacy? Not for Charlotte, apparently, who seemed content in simply riding her father's coattails all the way to the top of the divas division.

And Becky, she was arguably worse than Baby Flair. While Paige slowly became bitter toward Charlotte, Becky couldn't wait to start shouting from the rooftops that her friend had won the Diva's Championship. What a stupid mindset, Paige thought. If you weren't the one holding the title - if you weren't the one that people called "the champion" - then how could you be even remotely satisfied, let alone happy?

Paige certainly wasn't.

After Team PCB's decisive win at SummerSlam over both Team BAD and Team Bella, the trio of women had earned themselves a chance to face Nikki Bella at Night of Champions. "To the victors go the spoils," as Stephanie McMahon had ever-so-gracefully put it. Team PCB was to compete in a series of singles matches to determine the new number one contender.

A Beat the Clock Challenge; an awful idea, and not Paige's first choice of match type. Yet, the three had been doing exceptionally well, with Charlotte soundly defeating the other Bella Twin, Brie. Paige remembered how amazed she was when she witnessed Charlotte's final time - barely over a minute. A very difficult time to beat, but Paige was confident. You wouldn't make it very far in this company without being confident in your own abilities as an entertainer, and as an athlete.

Her adversary for the evening, handpicked by Ms. McMahon herself, was Sasha Banks, an extremely capable wrestler in her own right. Paige's confidence never faltered, walking with a confident stride down the ramp, flanked by her companions and allies. One minute. She had one minute to prove why she was the one deserving of this chance.

And then things went "BAD," in a manner of speaking. Paige remembered the sinking feeling in her stomach when Naomi and Tamina swiftly assisted Sasha in rolling out of the ring, avoiding a record-pace defeat at the hands of the RamPaige. She remembered watching the seconds trickle away - from two seconds, to one, and then finally zero. Paige had failed, and Charlotte was the sole PCB member to advance to Night of Champions.

Paige was disgusted. Becky and Charlotte had come into the ring after her loss to ease her worries, but all she wanted to do was lash out in response. The only reason she'd lost in the first place was due to outside interference! Come to think of it, Becky and Charlotte should've been keeping an eye on Team BAD from the start, but of course neither of them had that foresight.

Paige had started this revolution. Without her, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, and the discount Ric Flair would still be down in NXT. She jumpstarted their careers, no matter what anyone says. She was the only one with enough courage or brains to stand up to the Bellas, and to recognize that the women need to take charge, to prove that they were just as good, if not better, than the men.

And how was she repaid? With nothing: no title shots, no spotlight, and no closer to being back to where she was one year prior. No, instead, all of that - the spotlight, the title - went to the daughter of Ric Flair. That was all she was, Ric Flair's daughter, with no identity of her own. It was sickening. Charlotte didn't start this movement. Where was Charlotte when Becky and Paige were bombarded by attacks from Team BAD? Chasing a dream, leaving her teammates to get pummeled. Well, Paige felt like it was her duty as a "friend" to wake Charlotte from her pleasant dream.

The English woman found it hilarious that people were surprised by her statements against Becky and Charlotte. Seeing the Hall of Famer's confused face was priceless. Wiping the stupid, idiotic grin from Becky's mug as she venomously called the woman "irrelevant" was too rich. The cherry on top, however, was ruining Charlotte's precious moment, her celebration coming to a conclusion before it could properly kick off. She even had some choice words for the women in the locker room who "climbed" their way on top. Every diva in the back wanted to claim that they "started the Divas Revolution;" it was only fitting for the real mastermind behind the movement to put them all in their place.

It was a much needed catharsis for Paige. She was a two-time Diva's Champion, holding the illustrious belt more times than the divas that were scraping and clawing their way to the top for half a decade. She won her first championship on her debut night, and held both the Diva's Championship and the NXT Women's Championship at the same time. She didn't just deserve to be at the peak of the mountain - she belonged there; she was entitled to it.

"Where are you Nattie?!" she had asked in front of an awed crowd Monday night. Natayla was back, and rather than support Paige's cause, she chose to go against her. Just as well, Paige thought. If that old crone Natalya wanted to step up to her, then Paige was happy to oblige. She'd prove how inferior Natalya really was, and knock her right back to the end of the line, where Charlotte should currently be.

No friends, no allies, no teammates. This was just how Paige liked it. All of these so-called "divas" liked to speak fondly of how they started this revolution. Well the _anti-_ diva was back with a vengeance, and she'd shut their mouths once and for all. Paige would reclaim her spot as the greatest women's wrestler of all time.

This was her house, and there was only room for one.


End file.
